


The Comfort of a Home

by lemotmo



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Christopher Diaz is a National Treasure, Friends to Lovers, Light Angst, Love Confessions, M/M, Mostly fluff though, Original Character Death(s), Pining, abuela is a wise old woman who sees and knows everything, he is a pining idiot, mainly eddie though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-19
Updated: 2020-06-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:29:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24805471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lemotmo/pseuds/lemotmo
Summary: It only took Eddie a couple of days at the 118 to realise that underneath all that posing and bluster, Buck was one of the most decent human beings he had ever met. A quick friendship was forged after the grenade-incident. He had been important from the get go, but ever since the tsunami Buck had taken up precious real estate in his heart. He had moved into a little cosy cottage, a warm place to stay, right next to Christopher’s enormous mansion and he wasn’t going anywhere. In fact the cottage kept branching out with more rooms every single day.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Comments: 23
Kudos: 307





	The Comfort of a Home

**Author's Note:**

  * For [](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts).



> Well, this is it. My first fanfiction in years upon years. I hail from the Middle Ages of fanfiction. But 9-1-1 called to me and made me come out of hirbernation. That and buckiaz over on Tumblr who provided me with a prompt when I was begging for one. Thank you buckiaz for forcing me to leave lurkdom and to start writing again.
> 
> This is the prompt I had to work with:
> 
> 'Christopher gets a fever and Eddie isn't in LA so Buck rushes to abuela's house to help out. When Eddie gets back, he sees them all cuddly. OH I'M SOFT Please do this! Thank you!'
> 
> Now, all of you keep in mind that I haven't written anything in a long time and that I'm not a native speaker. Hence the reason why English grammar eludes me sometimes. Oh, and be aware of all the British English in this fic. If you don't like that, I'm sorry, but it is what it is. What can I say? While growing up British English was the absolute norm at school.
> 
> This is also my first time writing for this fandom, so yeah... I don't know.
> 
> TW: There is a very short mention of an act of war that affected children in this fic. It's very brief, but it's there. If that's not your cup of tea, you might want to skip the third paragraph.

One year and nine months ago, give or take a few days. That is how long ago Eddie had last spoken to Tom McGarry. He still remembers their last conversation as if it was yesterday. Tom had sounded so happy on the phone, elated almost, while his new born baby-girl was wailing in the background. He had told Eddie all about Donna’s difficult pregnancy and how she had been in labour for two days, before finally giving birth to-

“The most gorgeous baby that has ever babied in the history of all babies. Seriously Eddie, she is perfect.”

Eddie had been happy for him. The war had hit Tom extremely hard and during his fourth tour in Afghanistan something had snapped within him. Eddie had seen it happen. After another senseless bombing of a school building- children’s bodies laid out in little rows, parents breaking down- the light in Tom’s eyes had dimmed. He became a different man after that incident. And when he finally went home, he never returned. ‘Severe PTSD’ he had written in a letter to Eddie, ‘I’ve been discharged. I’m not coming back.’ And that was that.

He could have slid down the slippery slope of alcohol and drugs like so many before him, but Tom had had his secret weapon, his wife. Donna was a formidable woman who refused to give up on him, even when -during his lowest point- he broke every single piece of furniture in the house, lost in one of his violent spells. She was there to support him, to drive him to each and every one of his therapy sessions and eventually he had started feeling better. Icing on the cake however was when they found out they were pregnant after years of trying.

Yeah, he had sounded so happy and Eddie had simultaneously felt happy and incredibly jealous. There he was, a single father, just recently moved to LA, lonely as fuck. While Tom had had it all.

Had. Because Tom’s luck hadn’t lasted all that long, which brings Eddie to where he is today, a hot day on a military cemetery right outside of Kansas, dressed to the T in his dress blues. Saying a final farewell to his estranged friend.

When Eddie looks back at that phone call, all those many months ago, he feels guilty for all that he felt, because if there’s one thing that this situation has taught him is that life is fleeting and happiness doesn’t always stick around to the end. He only needs to look into Donna’s eyes to see that confirmed. Now she is the one who’s broken and who will be her secret weapon to support her through it? He has some hopes though when he sees Emma wobbling around on chubby legs, clutching her mother’s skirt, beaming up at her with the most radiant smile. Who could refuse that little face?

After the funeral Eddie returns to his hotel to pack. He has a flight home in the afternoon and he doesn’t want to miss it. Just yesterday abuela had texted him to let him know that Christopher had come down with a fever that morning and that he hadn’t gone to school. Eddie has been low-key worried ever since. Rationally he knows that it’s probably nothing and Christopher will be fine, but as a father he can’t help but worry.

As soon as he had received abuela’s message, his first instinct had been to call Buck. When Buck had heard about Christopher’s fever he sounded almost as worried as Eddie himself and promised Eddie to check in on his son after his shift had ended. If only to cheer the boy up a little.

That promise had settled Eddie’s concerns enough for him to stay one more night to attend Tom’s funeral. In any other circumstance he would have been on a plane back as soon as he had read abuela’s text.

It isn’t the first time that his son is sick, causing Eddie to lie awake for hours worrying if the fever is high enough to take him to the emergency room or not. Christopher’s CP just makes every illness or ailment so much more dangerous and it scares Eddie to the core. He has already lost Shannon and that left some big bruises on his heart. But losing Christopher? That would break him into a million pieces. No coming back from that.

His son has been his number one priority for so long now that it’s hard to give up his care to someone else, even for a short amount of time. His abuela really came through for him. She was the only one he had relied on for the first few months in LA. She had instinctively known what Christopher needed from day one. But then suddenly… there was Buck as well and everything had changed.

It only took Eddie a couple of days at the 118 to realise that underneath all that posing and bluster, Buck was one of the most decent human beings he had ever met. A quick friendship was forged after the grenade-incident. He had been important from the get go, but ever since the tsunami Buck had taken up precious real estate in his heart. He had moved into a little cosy cottage, a warm place to stay, right next to Christopher’s enormous mansion and he wasn’t going anywhere. In fact the cottage kept branching out with more rooms every single day.

To say that Eddie trusts Buck implicitly isn’t a strong enough statement. Buck is his rock, whether it’s on the job or with anything else in life. He knows that he can count on him 100%. So, it’s hardly surprising that he feels relieved, knowing that Christopher now not only has his bisabuela, but also his ‘Buck’ to look after him.

The ride to Kansas City Airport is uneventful and before he knows it, Eddie’s settled on the plane for the flight home. While he was checking in, he had received a message from Buck that made him burst out in loud laughter. The couple that was waiting behind him had eyeballed him curiously as he kept on staring at his phone, smiling like a loon.

With nothing else to do on the plane, Eddie pulls out his phone and pulls up Buck’s last message. He can’t stop another grin. In the sent picture a slightly flushed Christopher is plastered in between abuela and Buck. Nothing special as such, if it weren’t for the fact that they all -yes, even his prim and proper abuela- looked like they had just survived a food fight. All three of them were covered in flour and… strawberry jelly? Buck hadn’t added any text to the picture, so Eddie could only guess what had happened. A baking experiment gone wrong maybe? It wouldn’t be the first time. Ever since Buck had discovered his love for cooking and baking -thank you Bobby- he had been experimenting in the kitchen a lot. Mainly in Eddie’s kitchen, since—

“I need someone to taste-test everything and there’s no one better than Christopher, Eddie. He is always straight and up front. If he doesn’t like it, he’ll say so. He won’t lie to make me feel better. That’s a rare quality to find in a taste-tester.”

Sometimes Buck’s experiments with food worked out wonderfully but other times… not so much.

Christopher’s cheeks look a little too red in the picture and his eyes a smidgen too bright. He is obviously still under the weather, but his beautiful smile just exudes happiness. Eddie feels his heart grow ten sizes just looking at him. Moving on, Eddie’s eyes are automatically drawn to Buck’s face, as always. This is fairly new and it has been happening a lot more frequently lately. Now he’s not an idiot, he is self-aware enough that he has been looking at Buck in a different light for a while now. He’s just not sure how to feel about that. Hell, he isn’t even sure what exactly he’s looking for whenever his eyes linger a little too long on Buck’s gorgeous eyes, full red lips or his broad filled-out frame. He just knows that he likes what he sees and that’s usually as far as he’s willing to let his mind wander when it comes to Buck. Still, he’s aware that someday soon he’ll need to address his growing feelings for his best friend, before it all blows up in his face. Right now however, he’s content with his life and how things are between them.

Four and a half hours later Eddie finally walks out of LAX, ready to be home already. It’s starting to get dark and he is tired, hungry and quite frankly—cranky as hell. For the entire flight home he had been stuck next to some guy who snored like a freight-train. The moment the plane had set down, Eddie had almost lept out of his seat, ready to escape.

It takes him a moment to locate his truck, because ‘stupidly enormous airport parkings are stupid’. After sending a quick text to his abuela to let her know he is on his way, he finally sets out for home.

‘Home’. Strange how he calls LA home now. For the longest of times he felt like a tourist in this city. It wasn’t until he started working for the 118, meeting all these wonderful people—meeting Buck, that he truly started feeling at home. These days, there’s no where else he’d rather be. All of the people he loves most live here-- his chosen family. So yeah, LA is the best place in the world as far as Eddie’s concerned.

After a short detour to the grocery store to pick up some things for the next day, he finally arrives at his place. Abuela already waiting for him at the front door.

“Hi abuela,” he says, brushing a quick kiss against her cheek. Isabel smiles at him, pinching his cheek. “I’ve missed you my darling boy. I’m so happy that you’re home.”

“How is Christopher?” Eddie asks as he starts unloading the groceries.

“He’s doing a lot better than yesterday. He still has a little fever, but it’s not as high. He should feel much better in the morning.”

Eddie sighs as he momentarily leans up against the side of his truck, the last tendrils of tension flowing out of him. “I’m glad. All this worrying has to be bad for my heart,” he says while rubbing the palm of his hand over his chest.

“Well, now you can stop worrying. Besides Buck and I were here to take care of him, so worrying was not necessary at all,” abuela says, sending him a mischievous look. “I have to say this Eddie. That man is a treasure. You should keep him around. Christopher worships the ground he walks on and Buck would slay dragons for that child.”

“Well, Buck is not exactly mine to keep,” Eddie says softly, a little embarrassed, before looking away and picking up the grocery bags. It gives him something to do while his abuela quietly studies him. He wonders if she can pick up on his flushed cheeks in the artificial streetlights. “I mean, Buck is an incredible guy. One of these days he’s bound to meet someone who’ll realise just how wonderful he is. We’ll see a lot less of him then.”

“My boy,” abuela says, looking at him knowingly. “Something tells me that you won’t ever have to worry about that.”

Eddie doesn’t trust himself to ask what she means, because he knows what he would like it to mean and he’s not ready to go there yet. So he quickly moves past her inside the house, effectively changing the subject. “Speaking of, is Buck still here? And where is Christopher?”

“Oh you’ll see,” abuela snorts.

“What do you mea—” Eddie starts, before he comes to a full stand-still in the middle of his living room, while staring at the couch. Because right there, two of his most favourite people in the world are currently sleeping like the dead. Completely unaware of the perfect picture they present.

Buck is on his back, his mouth slightly open as he steadily breathes in and out, one leg hanging off the couch, bare foot on the carpet. His son is lying on Buck’s broad chest, rising and falling with every breath his friend takes. Buck’s hands are lightly resting on Christopher’s back, keeping him firmly in place. It’s such a Buck thing to do, always thinking about others, even in his sleep. Meanwhile, Christopher is drooling like a champ, straight onto Buck’s crisp white T-shirt. He seems relaxed and content to be sleeping in the arms of his ‘Buck’.

And Eddie’s heart decides in that moment it has had enough. No more. Buck’s little cosy cottage expands until it reaches the walls of Christopher’s mansion. The two collide, merge and become one solid new structure filled with nothing but love. This is where Buck belongs now, with him and Christopher. Forever.

He is surprised to finally find himself ready. Ready to tackle his love for Buck. It has been growing inside of him for so long, but he was always so afraid to face it head on that he had grown complacent. He thinks of Tom McGarry and the deep love he had for his wife and daughter. He thinks of Donna and how she’s going to have to move on without the love of her life. The way it can all be over in one single heartbeat. If Tom’s story taught him anything it is that life is short and if you don’t take any chances out of fear, it will pass you right on by.

If he doesn’t speak up now, his own predictions of Buck meeting someone special might come true one of these days. Eddie can’t let that happen. He hates being vulnerable and he loathes talking about his feelings, but it’s time to be brave about this, even if he is absolutely terrified of Buck’s reaction. If he had been a woman, maybe he’d feel a bit more confident about his chances. But as it is, Eddie is very much a guy and Buck has never really shown any interest in men. Still, the way he has been looking at Eddie lately, blue eyes studying him quietly, batting those eyelids while smiling that soft smile of his, as if Eddie’s the most precious thing in the whole wide world. It has fuelled his hopes and dreams and he can’t hold back any longer.

As soon as his boys wake up, he is going to pull Buck aside into the kitchen and talk to him. He’s going to tell his friend exactly how much he means to him and show him that he never wants Buck to leave. He’ll tell him—he’ll tell him that—

“If you’ll have me, I promise to always be there for you. No matter what. Because I love you so much Buck and I love how you love my son and how Christopher loves you back and… I just don’t know what to do with all these feelings I have inside for you and I- I can’t—” he’ll say. No doubt accompanied by tears of frustration welling up, because he just won’t be able to produce the right words to express exactly how he feels about his friend. Being emotionally constipated sucks like that.

Really though, in the end he should have just trusted his wise abuela when she had told him to not worry about Buck ever leaving him. Because half an hour later, after his big realisation. After he successfully separates Buck from an adorably sleepy Christopher and after he spits out the beforementioned words -which went just as badly as he had predicted by the way- Eddie finds himself pressed up against the fridge, Buck’s face right there, his eyes filled with happiness, his lips barely grazing Eddie’s, telling him in no uncertain terms—

“Shut up Eddie. Just kiss me. I’ve been waiting long enough for you to catch a clue.”

“Well, when you put it that way.”

And Eddie shuts up.

**Author's Note:**

> If you liked it, feel free to let me know. It would be appreciated.
> 
> However, if you don't feel like letting me know, that's fine as well. I get it, we all have those days sometimes. ;)


End file.
